Struggling to make ends meet? If so, you are in good company – many households all across the country are working full-time but still struggle to pay the bills and enjoy the lifestyle they deserve. Cutting back on expenses is one way of dealing with this issue, of course. But what about earning some extra money on the side?
Thanks to the Internet, it’s never been easier for people to make a little extra crust every month – and if you’re a success, who knows? Perhaps your side hustle could be the start of a brand new, full-time business. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can make additional income online.
Take the service route
Service businesses cost virtually nothing to set up, and if you have a few hours spare in the evening and at weekends, can prove to be lucrative. You could get work writing blog posts for small businesses, doing basic admin tasks online – data entry, perhaps – or even run a local company’s social media accounts.
Ecommerce
The ecommerce industry continues to expand, so if you have a love for a particular type of product, why not see if you can sell it online? You’ll need a little space in your home to keep your inventory, a website, and an ecommerce platform – but if you can find some niche products and become the go-to place for them – and ensure first-class shipping and packaging – there is plenty of money to be made.
Marketplaces
The trouble with ecommerce is that you need money to invest in the stock you intend to sell. If this is an issue, why not set up a marketplace instead? The idea is that you build a platform for other people to sell or buy services, and there is a lot of potential in virtually any industry. There are plenty of Saas services out there that have supported many marketplace startups, so it’s worth your time checking some out. You will never have to touch or worry about products, as all deliveries and orders are taken care of by the suppliers.
Write an ebook
Got something interesting to say that could genuinely help people? Perhaps you could write about your expertise in any given subject and sell it as an ebook? Anyone can become an author these days, and there are plenty of entrepreneurs that have actually made more money from online book sales than they have in their day-to-day businesses. You will need to be original, creative, and a good writer, of course. But with the help of an editor and some savvy marketing, there’s no reason why your book won’t earn you some extra cash.
Become an affiliate
Affiliate marketers sell product on behalf of other businesses and are paid a commission. It can be incredibly lucrative if you can build up a lot of traffic to your website and find the right kind of products to affiliate your site with. At the lower end of the scale, there are opportunities with the likes of Amazon, but some of the best affiliate commission rates are found in areas such as life coaching, online marketing courses, and health and fitness.